Yes, caps lock indeed. VISION FORTUNE released their debut album Mas
Fiestas con el Grupo Vision Fortune last May. The track titles are in roman
numerals, an anti-capitalism pitchfork stab. The London trio are rarely seen
out of their misty castle of noise creation, maybe that’s for the better. We
know they're connected to the fantastic independent label Italian Beach Babes, which has brought us
tracks from Novella, Mazes, and Fear of Men in the past. They're re-releasing
their debut EP NIGHT JUKES, which was only available on cassette.
They're releasing it on 12" vinyl with Cardinal Fuzz, a Leeds based record
label that proud themselves on releasing: "psych / kraut / garage
rock," that’s the music of VISION FORTUNE right down to the core.
The krautrock genre is loosely defined through simple characteristics and influence;
it's not an official genre as such, but a bracket for many genres and sounds to
feel comfortable associating with the 60s sounds of German music. Can, Neu!
Faust, they all have the same thing in common - repetition. Without the use of
these long structures, there would be no krautrock as we know it. Neu!'s
innovative third album Neu! '75 paved the way for what is VISSION
FORTUNE's NIGHT JUKES EP. The protopunk sound, characterised by a spruce
Iggy Pop in the 60s and 70s, has been an influence on modern music, without
fans even realising. Where would James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem be without
Iggy Pop's futuristic "Nightclubbing" from 1977s The Idiot?
Where would Mark. E Smith be without Can's enigmatic frontman Damo Suzuki? Influence
can be a powerful tool in the music business, and VISION FORTUNE wear their
influences on their sleeves like true musicians without a care.
NIGHT JUKES features one of the best transitions on Italian Beach
Babes, from "NATURAL FAZE" to the incredible "DRAG".
Synthesizers come to a close, charming bells fade out, and the vigorous bass
riff of "DRAG" enters without a question, without a care. Its
defining aspect is the intense synthesizer riff that just rips through the
track, leaving destruction in its path. Not once do VISION FORTUNE decide to
change up the progression, or split up the structure with a 'chorus' - they
spit in the face of populare. And
just like that, VISION FORTUNE have created a resounding garage rock track for
the krautrock fans of the 10s.
"IN MY FATHER'S HOUSE THERE ARE MANSION" continues down the path
of repetition. Each guitar riff and bass riff works with the light percussion
as the tracks core. VISION FORTUNE go that one step further by adding layers
and synthesizer accompaniment in a style similar to what The Doors would be
like if they had released an album alongside Zappa, reading a passage from John 14.2. Repetition creates the
drone, and my god, VISION FORTUNE certainly get the best out of their
production equipment with this track. Layers of synthesizers come out of
nowhere and bass riffs pop up out of the blue, then a sudden stop. It all comes
to a close... except a separate synthesizer instrumental, pure ambience with
layers and a Morse code like feature.
NIGHT JUKES is an exceptional piece of contemporary experimental rock
music. "BLACK OCEAN GLOW" caps off the five track EP with variety
rather than volume. The synthesizers again, reap havoc on the recording, with
layers taking the listener in to an imaginary world, where the riff is the
prescribed chorus, and the guitar riffs are the verses. It plays tricks on the
mind, as VISION FORTUNE insert what seems to be a horn progression. These brass
sounds conclude the EP with an awaited fade-out that could have been 60 minutes
down the line and listeners still wouldn’t notice or even mind. It’s an array of delight, a
compilation of stark psych recordings in the modern age.
NIGHT JUKES is
available via Cardinal Fuzz.
~Eddie
